The Afterlife of Deadman

 

DC Universe Presents

Deadman in "Twenty Questions"

Issues 1 - 5

Writer: Paul Jenkins

Artist: Bernard Chang

Colorist: Blond

Letters: Dave Sharpe

Cover Artist: Ryan Sook

Price $2.99 (each)

I really loved DC Universe Presents!  Hopefully DC Universe Presents or DCUP for short will not end up getting cancelled anytime soon.  It's a great way to learn more about DC's New 52 (do I really still need to call it "New"?)  as well as finding out about the characters that aren't featured in their own titles yet.  The first story arc introduces us to Deadman.  Yes he had a large role in Brightest Day and Blackest Night but those stories were from the Old DCU.  With Deadman also appearing in the monthly Justice League Dark (which I LOVE as well) we get to see a new take on the story of how Boston Brand became Deadman.  With DCUP we're getting the origin stories set for this new universe.  This is just the beginning and I already want more!

So the long/short version of the story: Boston Brand dies (how did you think he got the name "Deadman"?) and goes to this Purgatory-ish place and meets Rama, some kinda Alien-Goddess being, who tells him he must "jump" into other people for "enlightenment" so he can get closer to finding himself.  Basically similar to Quantum Leaping into other people, helping them out with the problems that they have.  So why doe he have to do that?  Ummm ....... well Deadman (and myself) don't really know.  Rama never truly did explain why he has to do this.  We move onto Deadman finding out about this club where in the basement there are books about everyone's lives guarded by a sweet old blind fallen angel.  Think of your Grandma but with wings.  She wouldn't give him a straight answer.  Deadman had to threaten setting her place on fire before she would tell him about the Morning Son.  Now where would one find this Morning son?  Why at a carnival of course.  One weird roller coaster ride later that also looked back at all the lives Deadman has touched, Deadman and Morning Son play 20 questions and Deadman finally had his answer (but I was still lost).  It seems Rama has been looking for a new question to answer, that's why she had Deadman leaping through so many people. Just to find her a new question. 

The artwork in this arc was stunning.  The way Bernard Chang and Blond manipulated the pages to make some panels stand out more was genius!  Really loved the way the panels where arranged into the roller coaster in issue 4.  Even every time you saw Deadman's face you felt his pain, that's how powerful the art was.  Also having Ryan Sook illustrating the covers really made these issues stand out on the shelves.  But the true sign of a great storyteller is making you enjoy a character that you don't truly know.  Paul Jenkins did that and then some.  Jenkins' story had me wanting to find older comics with Deadman appearances just to learn more about his past.  I would truly love to see this creative team come back to tell more Deadman stories. 

Hopefully DC Universe Presents can keep this feeling on the upcoming story arcs.  Stories from Abra Kadabrao to Zatanna, from John Constantine to Captain Marvel..... oops, I meant Shazam, and every DC character in-between.  Here's to more first time great reads and the growth of the DC Universe!

~ Joseph (@AliasJoeG) ~